Running Away
by reikanobutushi
Summary: A one-shot about Mello's feelings when Roger tells him and Near that L died.


**Disclamier: I do not own Death Note or any of the characters that appear in it.**

I remember that day.

I was playing soccer with my friends at Wammy's house. As you probably know, Wammy's house is an orphanage that raises children with outstanding intelligence from across the globe.

Matt was inside as usual, playing those idiotic (in my opinion) video games. That stupid bigheaded Near was piecing together a blank puzzle.

Then the caretaker called us to go inside. My friend dropped the soccer ball we were playing with and we all ran inside. I looked at the big clock above the entrance as we went through the front door.

12:30. Lunchtime.

Roger Ruvie, the manager of Wammy's house when Watari wasn't there was walking out of his office. Instead of walking straight and tall with authority like he always does, he was slumping, his shoes shuffling the floor. His posture reminded me eerily of L.

L.

The person that we are all raised to admire, fear, respect, and long to be. I've met him only once, but that one visit can imprint on you forever. The way L talks. The way he walks, breathes, eats, and sits. Everything about L was weird in a way.

But that was what made him so good, so… incredible.

The caretaker said good morning to Roger. The children echoed "Hello" in their cheerful voice and I was about to do the same when he grabbed my arm.

"Mello, come with me." He said. His grip on my arm was tight, but it was shaking with his old age.

Roger looked into a room and said "Near, you too."

No. Near's coming with me?

"Okay." Near responded, looking toward us. He stood up, carrying his puzzle. I thought then that it was weird to see Near standing up. He's always sitting down, playing with his childish toys. I often hear people say that Near's quirks make him seem more like L.

I hate it when they made remarks like that. I hated it because they were just simply implying that Near is the right one to succeed L just because of the way he does things.

In any case, Near stands up walks with Roger and me down the hall into his office. He sits down at his desk, his fingers immediately intertwining with each other as he looked down. Near was almost finished with his puzzle, holding the last pieces in his hand.

I couldn't take this silence anymore. If Roger brought us to his office – which is normally off limits to us kids – then it must be a serious matter. His worried face was also concrete evidence that something was wrong.

"What is it, Roger?" I said, breaking the silence.

He didn't answer right away. Near fitted another piece into his blank puzzle.

"L…is dead." Roger said quietly.

It seems as though time has stopped completely. Near's hands froze.

L? Dead? But- No- L can't die! He's the world's greatest detective! He solved millions of cases, the public never knew his identity, his work was appraised by thousands of people, and basically _L was the greatest._

But now dead?

"Dead? Bu- But how?" I said to Roger, my reaction written all over my face. Near sat quietly, fitting the last piece into the puzzle.

"Do – Do you mean he was killed by Kira?! Is that it?" I said, coming closer to Roger's desk.

L's death must be a lie. _A lie._

I grabbed the collar of Roger's shirt. "You mean he was going to catch Kira but Kira killed him?!" I shook Roger.

"Mello…" Roger meeped.

"If you can't solve the puzzle, you're nothing but a loser." Near suddenly says. I looked at him, dumbfounded. I don't need his damn philosophical comments right now.

"D-did L choose who his successor will be…?" I asked Roger, turning my back towards Near.

"He was going to choose, but now he's dead now, you see." Roger replied.

Oh great. This situation is such a fucking mess.

"Mello… Near… how about you too both work together to catch Kira?" Roger says, looking at both of us.

"Agreed." Near said quietly, fitting pieces into his puzzle.

Oh, so _now _the midget speaks.

"We can't, Roger!" I said to him. "You know that Near and I don't get along…"

I've always been second. Near was always getting all the attention for every little thing he does. When I do something great, like finishing my homework way before everyone else, they just nod their heads.

I hate Near. There's no way we can work together.

"Listen, Roger… Near will succeed L." I said to Roger. He immediately looked surprised. He knew I wanted more than anything else to succeed L.

To hell with succeeding. To hell with stepping over L.

I won't step over L; I'll stomp on him and catch Kira _by myself._

"Unlike me, he'll do the job calmly, without emotion, like when he solves a puzzle." I continued, looking at Near now. He finished the blank puzzle again.

I realized just then that Near will always be better than me. Always.

It's not fair. How come I'm always… second?

I can't stay here, I thought. I can't stay near someone that's better than me.

"I'm leaving from Wammy's house too!" I almost screamed at Roger and Near. I turned around on my foot and walked toward the door.

"Mello!" I could hear Roger standing up abruptly from his desk.

Just before I opened the door, I said, "Roger… do whatever you want. I'll be fifteen in no time… I'll live out my own way." Then I slammed the door behind me.

I'll live out my own way, like I said. I won't be in the shadow of Near or L anymore.

I ran down the hallway into my dorm that I shared with Matt.

He was playing his DS in his bed. How surprising.

"Matt!" I yelled at him, making him jump off his bed in shock.

"Geez, what?!" He said, picking himself off from the floor.

"I'm leaving." I picked up my backpack that I haven't used since I came to Wammy's house.

"Leaving? Wh-where?" His tone of voice sounded fearful for me. I started cramming random crap into my backpack.

"Anywhere away from Near." I responded. I decided not to take any clothes since the clothes I had already were getting tight on me. I hated the blandness of the clothes they provided us at Wammy's house anyway. Maybe the first thing I'll do when I run away from here is to buy myself clothes that suited my taste. Maybe leather…?

"Did you get into a competition with Near again?" Matt asked. I knew he was about to say "And lost again?" but he held back.

"Yeah." I said. I looked at Matt. "L died."

"W-What?! That's impossible! That's almost as – as stupid and impossible as Aerith dying in Final Fantasy!" Matt said. Then he said quietly, "So… Near is going to be his successor?"

"No effing duh." I almost shouted.

"S-sorry." Matt climbed back into his bed.

That's weird. Matt doesn't stutter all the time.

I started cramming chocolate into my backpack, counting them as I packed each one. I oculd hear Roger telling several caretakers to go search for me outside.

"He's probably already out of the door already," I could hear Roger say to them. They passed my dorm.

I couldn't believe my luch! I also couldn't believe that they would be so stupid to not think that I might be packing my few belongings before I run away!

"I'm going to get in trouble for this…" Matt mumbled from under his covers.

I stuffed the last chocolate bar into my backpack.

38 chocolate bars. There were supposed to be 39 bars on my shelf.

"Matt!" I whispered/shouted at him. He jumped again.

"What do you want now?!" He whispered loudly back.

"What the hell did you do with my missing chocolate bar?!"

"I – I didn't take it! You must have lost it!"

"I don't lose my things!" I started checking through Matt's shelf.

"Oh w-well I didn't."

"Matt, did you take my chocolate bar or not?"

"…Yes." He said quietly. He took out the missing bar of chocolate from his pocket. "We.. us kids all heard Roger talking to you and Near, and I knew you would run away, so…" He looked down. "In case I never saw you again, I wanted to keep a chocolate bar to remind me of you."

"…" If this were any other time, place or situation, I would have smacked Matt's head hard, then burn the chocolate he touched. But…

"Keep the chocolate," I told him. I picked up my backpack and left my dorm.

From the other dorms I could hear children snickering, "What did Mello do this time – win?"

I gritted my teeth. Being second sucks.

I walked down the hallway silently, and then turned towards the foyer. The big clock now said 4: 30.

Wow. I missed exactly 4 hours of life at Wammy's house.

I looked behind me, making sure Roger or anyone else was watching me, then opened the front door and walked out of Wammy's house.

I'm free.

It was pouring rain outside. I didn't care.

I'm free, away from Near, away from everyone. No one is going to persuade me, no one is going to have power over me.

I broke into a run.

_I'm going to live my life my way._

_A/N: WHOA! My first fanfic! It's a one-shot and I'm very proud of it! Oh yeah: there is no yaoi in this fanfic whatsoever! Wouldn't you want to take something of your friend's if they were disappearing too?!_

_I just had to put that part in about Mello wanting leather clothes. You can practically hear me screaming"YES MELLO PUT ON THE LEATHER IT MAKES YOU SEEEEXXXXIIIIEEEERRRR!!!". Lol sorry hormonal teenager is on the loose XD._

_Please review :)_


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